URGENT: Action needed NOW in Illinois

UPDATE: Calls/E-Mails were successful in shaking up the Capitol Building this morning, House was adjourned after spending a little over an hour in session debating non-relevant bills

http://illinoiscarry.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=35591&hl=

Chicago is stalling pension reform and risking bankruptcy of the damn STATE to push their assault weapons / high capacity magazine ban.

From Todd Vandermyde NRA lobbyist in Springfield:

We have received word that the democratic leadership is working overtime on twisting arms to find the votes to pass a magazine ban and the vote could come back this afternoon.

Call your reps IMMEDIATEly and urge them to vote no on any magazine ban

If you enjoyed reading about "URGENT: Action needed NOW in Illinois" here in TheHighRoad.org archive, you'll LOVE our community. Come join TheHighRoad.org today for the full version!

Trent

March 14, 2013, 12:27 PM

(They were TWO votes shy of getting this passed Yesterday; now that the Chicago Machine has started serious arm twisting, holding the bankruptcy of the state as a trump card, we are VERY MUCH IN DANGER of seeing this go through.)

Jeff White

March 14, 2013, 12:28 PM

From the ISRA just now:

URGENT ALERT  YOUR ACTION REQUIRED

House Bill Amendments - Magazine Ban on the floor of the Illinois House of Representatives right now!

It's another floor fight going on in the Illinois House of Representatives, this time to try to ban your standard capacity magazines!

It's time again to call your representative in their Springfield office and urge him or her to not vote for any magazine ban. The vote is CLOSE. Call Now!

If you do not know who your state representative is, please click the link below and you will be able to identify your representative and get their Springfield phone number.

The Illinois State Board of Elections has a new interactive search page here:
www.elections.state.il.us/DistrictLocator/DistrictOfficialSearchByAddress.aspx

If you know who your representative is, you can find their contact info here:
www.ilga.gov/house/.

Call, call, and call some more!!!

Trent

March 14, 2013, 12:35 PM

I just contacted my rep Brauer; he is opposed to the ban.

PLEASE look up your representatives here and ask them to vote in opposition to the magazine ban today.

Here in Georgia our representatives have told us that 7 phone calls is huge -- 1 to 2 is typical. Reps pay attention, and it doesn't take much to help your elected officials understand the importance of a bill to their constituency.

Make the call. Take the time. let them know.

Ryanxia

March 14, 2013, 12:39 PM

Good luck guys. Keep up the pressure. Spread the word and make your voices heard.

Prophet

March 14, 2013, 12:45 PM

Who are the big key players concerning this bill? Can someone post their contact information so those of us living outside Illinois can help contact them?

edit; has anyone created a compilation of their emails that can be copied and pasted?

edit; I'll do it. I'm copying, pasting and revising this post as I go. So far;

RepDistrict3@gmail.com

repberrios39@gmail.com

rep.bost@hotmail.com

Brauerr@housegopmail.state.il.us

burkedj2@ilga.gov

kellyb@ilga.gov

johncabello@aol.com

repcassidy@gmail.com

chapa-laviali@ilga.gov

repjohnbradley@mychoice.net

dan@rep-danbrady.com

staterepcloonen79@att.net

repdebconroy@gmail.com

staterepcostello@gmail.com

johnd@ilga.gov

repcddavidsmeyer@gmail.com

davismd@ilga.gov

repdeluca@sbcglobal.net

rep@tomdemmer.com

repdrury@gmail.com

ken@repkendunkin.com

repdurkin@hotmail.com

Repevans33@gmail.com

krfarnham@gmail.com

sara@staterepsara.com

repfine@gmail.com

flowersme@ilga.gov

repford@lashawnford.com

jack@jackfranks.org

staterepgabel@robyngabel.com

esthergolar@sbcglobal.net

repjgordon@gmail.com

staterephalbrook@gmail.com

rephammond@macomb.com

staterepharms@gmail.com

repharris@yahoo.com

repehernandez@yahoo.com

repjayhoffman@gmail.com

repfranhurley@gmail.com

naomi@naomijakobsson.com

staterepchuck67@aol.com

I have to leave. Copy, paste and send folks.

edit; C0untZer0 got it below.

C0untZer0

March 14, 2013, 01:01 PM

I don't have a more precise list w/ contact info, this PDF is a roll call for an anti-gun amendment.

If you want to find your specific senator & representative you can go here:

http://gis.elections.il.gov/map_viewer_update/default.aspx

or here:

http://www.capwiz.com/nra/state/main/?state=IL&view=myofficials

Trent

March 14, 2013, 01:15 PM

Sent to every rep on that list:

As a Federally licensed Collector of Curio and Relics of War, I strongly urge you to vote NO on any magazine ban/assault weapons ban.

You are about to vote on legislation which will make the vast majority of my several-hundred-thousand-dollar firearms collection ILLEGAL to possess, including rare relics which the National Firearms Museum does not even have on display.

I am a father of five, a business owner, an employer, and a corporate and individual taxpayer in Illinois. I do business across the United States with Fortune 500 companies.

You are messing with MY heritage, and the rightful heritage of my CHILDREN.

This will not be tolerated.

If you pass legislation that will turn me in to a felon, I WILL MOVE my company out of Illinois - and take all of our tax revenue with us.

In addition, I will be keeping track of every “YES” vote on these bills, so I can donate (generously) to your opposition in 2014.

Trenton XXXXXXXXX
Federally Licensed Collector/ Curio and Relics of War

(EDIT: removed my last name to keep web crawlers from indexing me.)

Trent

March 14, 2013, 01:25 PM

One Response received to my mass-mail.

Dear Mr. LXXXXXXX,

Thank you for reaching out to me. I support the Second Amendment. I believe it is a defense against tyranny. I am also a co-sponsor on concealed carry bill HB 997, which you can link to here: http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/billstatus.asp?DocNum=997&GAID=12&GA=98&DocTypeID=HB&LegID=71413&SessionID=85

Best Regards,

Jeanne Ives

C0untZer0

March 14, 2013, 02:11 PM

Jeanne is great, she is my rep and I'm going to make a campaign donation as soon as I have ime.

Her comments on the floor yesterday were great:

"A magazine ban is offensive to women"

C0untZer0

March 14, 2013, 02:16 PM

We need phone calls now - today is the all out push to get a magazine ban in place,

I am contacting you today in regards to the pending legislation to ban so called hi-capacity magazines. I have served the people of Illinois as a law enforcement officer since July 1985, and I can tell you that this feel good legislation will have absolutely no effect on violent crime and would not stop one mass shooting. The only thing it would do would be to infringe on the rights of law abiding citizens.

I urge you to vote no when this bill is called for it's next vote.

If this legislation passes I will have no choice but to sell all of my property in Illinois and move my family from the state I grew up. Even though this proposed legislation would not affect me personally because of the exemption for law enforcement, I could not in good conscience continue to live in a society where freedom was so restricted for other citizens.

I will use every resource at my disposal to work for the defeat of every member of the house who votes for this legislation.

Respectfully

Jeffrey L White

I received the same reply from Jeane Ives as Trent did..to include his last name, they must be flooded with email.

This is the reply I received from Mike Bost:

I'm voting no. And have been urging my colleagues in the Illinois House to do the same.

Good luck to you......and thanks for taking the time to stand up for our 2nd Amendment Rights.

Sincerely,

Mike Bost

State Representative

115th District

Four emails bounced as undeliverable and one mailbox full notice.

Reply from Kay Hatcher:

Dear Jeffrey,

Thank you for contacting me regarding gun legislation in Illinois. I have always

been a proponent of the Second Amendment, and will continue to be.

Sincerely,

Kay Hatcher
State Representative - District 50

Trent

March 14, 2013, 02:41 PM

HAHAH! She used MY name in the response when replying to YOU?! That's awesome. :)

We must really be hammering their inboxes today. :)

Trent

March 14, 2013, 02:42 PM

Jeanne is great, she is my rep and I'm going to make a campaign donation as soon as I have ime.

Her comments on the floor yesterday were great:

"A magazine ban is offensive to women"

Yeah when she started speaking, my wife perked up and then was pretty much cheering by the end.

Jeff White

March 14, 2013, 02:47 PM

HAHAH! She used MY name in the response when replying to YOU?! That's awesome.

Yeah, I did a double take when I read it and checked to make sure I was reading my email and not THR.....

Trent

March 14, 2013, 02:48 PM

Got the same letter back from Hatcher as Jeff did.

Thank you for contacting me regarding gun legislation in Illinois.
I have always been a proponent of the Second Amendment, and will
continue to be.
Sincerely,

Kay Hatcher
State Representative - District 50

Jeff White

March 14, 2013, 02:50 PM

The secretaries in some of these offices must be really earning their pay today.

Trent

March 14, 2013, 02:50 PM

Whoa, they're starting out doing VOICE votes today.

"In the opinion of the chair the Ayes have it"

(Pension amendments)

No electronic votes today?!?!!

THAT crap won't fly when they get to gun stuff.

Trent

March 14, 2013, 03:00 PM

Hoping the deluge of calls and e-mails today deterred them from pushing this forward. The democratic caucus ran over by 45 minutes or so. When pushed for an explanation when the house reconvened, the speaker said "We had a lot going on."

Thank you for reaching out to me regarding your Second Amendment rights. I will support any legislation that protects the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens. I am a proud co-sponsor of HB0997.

Criminals will carry weapons regardless of the legality of the practiceóas the old saying goes, when you outlaw guns, the only ones with guns are outlaws. Concealed carry gives responsible, law-abiding citizens the ability to defend themselves and their families.

Again, thank you for taking the time to reach out to me.If you have any questions, comments, or thoughts about this piece of legislation or any other state legislation, please donít hesitate to reach out to me or my office.

With Best Wishes

Sincerely,

Mike Smiddy
State Representative

71st District

Trent

March 14, 2013, 04:20 PM

adjourned.

We shook them up with the phone calls/e-mails today. They kicked around a couple minor bills and called it a day, after 1 hour.

sota

March 14, 2013, 04:21 PM

what address do you want the 53' box truck full of Mallox sent to?

Trent

March 14, 2013, 04:27 PM

Haha. This keeps up I'll have to name my ulcers.

Rumor from the Capitol is we rattled their cages HARD this morning. Between the NRA-ILA, ISRA, Illinois Carry, and grassroots efforts thousands of calls and e-mails all hit Springfield in a short period of time.

They certainly know that we aren't asleep anymore.

Whether they care... that's what remains to be seen.

Jeff White

March 14, 2013, 04:35 PM

They can't maintain their majority without the downstate democrats. And it's starting to look like any downstate democrat who votes for any of this is going to be prime picking on election day.

Imagine Illinois without Mike Madigan in the speaker's chair....I like the sound of that but I don't think the machine does....The want to take our guns...but they want to stay in power more....

Trent

March 14, 2013, 04:44 PM

Illinois without Mike Madigan in the speaker's chair? Things might actually get accomplished for a change.

I have absolutely zero respect for him. None whatsoever. And it's not only due to the gun rights thing. He is an all-around turd of a politician.

One thing to keep in mind, without those downstate democrats being on our side, we'd be lost in a sea of anti-gun legislation. So when they DO vote for us, we have to thank them by voting for them.

Jeff White

March 14, 2013, 04:50 PM

Without the downstate democrats we would be a Brady A+ state. Illinois would make New York, New Jersey and California look 2d Amendment paradises.

I voted for Kurt Grandberg against republican opponents until he decided to retire simply because of his pro 2A stand. His position as Majority Whip stopped a lot of the insanity.

Trent

March 14, 2013, 04:59 PM

The problem is a lot of these people get elected in the off-year elections. When there's a big presidential election you see massive voter turnout - better than 65% in Tazewell county, and over 60% across the state. But in the off years (when a lot of representative seats change hands) you only see 17-22% voter turnout, state wide.

If 50% of the registered voters are gun owners, and we can get 50% of those to get off their lazy butts and vote, we would (cumulatively) amount to 25% of the general election vote.

With state averages in the 17-22% range, we'd DESTROY the anti-gunners in most places. We'd still get our butts handed to us in counties that restrict firearms extensively, Cook, etc.. but if we could gain enough of the districts to override a governor veto, it would be smooth sailing.

It's just a matter of statistics, and getting people to take the time to check a few boxes.

Trent

March 14, 2013, 05:17 PM

More responses.

Here's my rep's response:

Amendment II: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
Thank you for your communication regarding gun legislation. As you know, I am opposed to any legislation that I believe infringes on the Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America.
Sincerely,
Rich Brauer
State Representative
87th District

Another:

Thank you for contacting me with your support in defending the Second Amendment.
I want you to know that I stand with you in this fight to protect one of our most fundamental rights as Americans. The right to private ownership of firearms was enshrined in the Bill of Rights by our Founding Fathers, and we honor them every day by standing up in defense of that right.
The House of Representatives was recently engaged in another round of farcical political theater, a "Weekly Order of Business" to debate amendments to a Chicago-style gun ban. The House engaged in this charade twice in previous weeks, once on concealed carry and once on pensions. It became clear very early on in this show that these were not serious amendments, or even serious discussions.
These charades were nothing but political publicity stunts designed to give anti-Second Amendment Representatives political cover, and to make those of us who stand up for the constitution look like extremists. It was a false debate providing false choices. Accordingly, the members of the House Republican caucus decided not to participate. We believe that issues of crime and our state's financial future deserve to be taken seriously - more seriously than the Chicago politicians who put on these shows are taking them. Unfortunately, as the minority in the House, our caucus sometimes has to resort to unconventional strategies to make our voices heard - and that is what we did by withholding our votes.
We stand ready to work with any member from either side of the aisle in either chamber who wants to get serious about solving these problems. I want to thank you again for making your voice heard. Together we can enact a sensible concealed carry law and protect our Second Amendment rights and our freedoms.
Sincerely,

Tim Schmitz
State Representative - District 65

And a non-commital.

March 14, 2013

Dear Mr. Lawrence:

Thank you for contacting me. I understand your concern and at this time I am looking into this issue and appreciate hearing your viewpoint.
Thank you, once again, for your concern on this important issue. If you have additional thoughts you’d like to share, or if I can ever be of assistance to you, please contact me at (217) 877-9636 or staterepsue@gmail.com.

Best regards,

Sue Scherer
State Representative – 96th District

C0untZer0

March 14, 2013, 05:29 PM

This is much different than the Colorado mag cap / mag ban fight.

The Chicago democratic machine is basically making exploratory attacks, then they analyze where they failed to re-formulate a plan, shore up their weaknesses - apply pressure to reps who might go either way. The speaker of the house and one of the top dogs in the Illinois dem party then gets out the carrots and the stick and applies either as necesary.

If their attack had worked this afternoon, they would have forged ahead in making the mag cap / mag ban a poison pill to the CCW law, and they would also have tried to just push ahead with it as it's own law...

It is maddening fighting this fight with them because the Second Amendment and right-to-self-defense advocates have to win each and every time - the gun grabbers only have to win once.

Trent

March 14, 2013, 05:35 PM

Yeah, this isn't at all like New York or Colorado, that just blitzed something right through.

We're being attacked over.. and over.. and over.. and over again.

Each time they try to sneak something through (always at the last minute), it gets more difficult to motivate people to pick up the phones, or send e-mail, to say the same thing over and over again.

One would have hoped that after the fantastic showing we had at iGOLD this year the anti-gunners would throw in the towel. I know.. I know.. wishful thinking. :)

Latest word leaked from anti-gun staffers is the Chicago Machine is seriously considering poisoning ALL concealed carry bills. Heck, they just did that with Amendment 40 on 1156 (by introducing a requirement to keep guns unloaded / locked at home, they guarantee a Heller-based dismissal if it does get signed to law).

Why they'd poison their own bill is beyond me. It's almost like they're trying to think of 99 different ways to flip the 7th circuit the bird before the deadline hits.

One thing is for sure, they're testing ALL of the waters to see if they have ANY leverage to get a strong shall-issue bill watered down to their taste.

Unfortunately it means they're attacking across the board from every conceivable angle. Million dollar insurance policies. Ridiculous storage requirements. Bans on transporting any firearms in vehicles. And so on.

They're throwing every idea, regardless of how stupid, at the wall to see if anything sticks.

Jeff White

March 14, 2013, 06:30 PM

From Rep Tim Schmitz:

Thank you for contacting me with your support in defending the Second Amendment.

I want you to know that I stand with you in this fight to protect one of our most fundamental rights as Americans. The right to private ownership of firearms was enshrined in the Bill of Rights by our Founding Fathers, and we honor them every day by standing up in defense of that right.

The House of Representatives was recently engaged in another round of farcical political theater, a "Weekly Order of Business" to debate amendments to a Chicago-style gun ban. The House engaged in this charade twice in previous weeks, once on concealed carry and once on pensions. It became clear very early on in this show that these were not serious amendments, or even serious discussions.

These charades were nothing but political publicity stunts designed to give anti-Second Amendment Representatives political cover, and to make those of us who stand up for the constitution look like extremists. It was a false debate providing false choices. Accordingly, the members of the House Republican caucus decided not to participate. We believe that issues of crime and our state's financial future deserve to be taken seriously - more seriously than the Chicago politicians who put on these shows are taking them. Unfortunately, as the minority in the House, our caucus sometimes has to resort to unconventional strategies to make our voices heard - and that is what we did by withholding our votes.

We stand ready to work with any member from either side of the aisle in either chamber who wants to get serious about solving these problems. I want to thank you again for making your voice heard. Together we can enact a sensible concealed carry law and protect our Second Amendment rights and our freedoms.

Earlier today, we were told by more than one legislator that leadership was trying to bring back the magazine ban for a vote today.

Evidently they are having a hard time finding the last 3 votes to pass their confiscation bill. This afternoon reports are coming in about gun owners lighting up the phone lines in opposition to the magazine ban.

The House adjourned this afternoon without taking up the magazine ban, but will be back tomorrow morning. Your calls are having an impact and please keep it up. Your work today bought us more time in this fight to keep them from getting the votes to pass their latest attack on the Second Amendment.

Dear Constituent,
Thank you for your recent correspondence concerning gun legislation. State Representative Brandon Phelps filed House Bill 997 addressing conceal and carry of firearms. Currently it is held on the Calendar Order of Second Reading and eight amendments have been filed on the bill. No vote has been taken.
I did vote “yes” for the Conceal and Carry Legislation, House Bill 148, in 2011 that Representative Brandon Phelps carried, which failed. According to the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, state lawmakers, who have been divided as to whether to legalize the conceal carry of weapons, now have until June 8, 2013, to create a law to uphold conceal and carry. If the General Assembly does not adopt a conceal and carry law they may end up with no authority in the matter because the Federal Appeals Court threw out the state’s concealed gun ban.
House Speaker Madigan filed House Bill 1155 now containing 44 amendments. The House has spent many hours and had much debate considering a variety of these amendments, which were filed by many different sponsors. These amendments created what would be considered restrictions on where an individual would be permitted to carry a concealed weapon. House Bill 997 offered by Representative Brandon Phelps is the 27th Amendment and was passed with my “yes” vote. This amendment is the Illinois State Rifle Association’s original comprehensive proposal. Because many of the provisions conflict with Amendment 27, those conflicts will have to be negotiated and reconciled. This bill has been placed on the Calendar for Second Reading with further discussions forthcoming.
Speaker Madigan also has House Bill 1156, with 11 amendments, which is considered by many to be an assault weapons ban. I voted “no” on Amendment 10 which proposed firearm magazine bans and firearm capacity bans. The House Bill 1156 is being held on the Calendar Order of Second Reading. I ultimately believe that some version of House Bill 997 will be passed and I know Representative Phelps is willing to work with the opponents to make that happen. I have no idea what Speaker Madigan’s intent is by making both of these bills a multiple choice task.
Please know that your viewpoint is extremely important to me and I am always pleased to hear from the constituents that I represent. I promise to perform due diligence on any conversation bringing conceal and carry legislation to a final resolution. It would be helpful if you always include your address and telephone number in future correspondence so that I may contact you proactively to discuss the information, if necessary.
Best regards,
Sandy Pihos

Trent

March 15, 2013, 12:44 PM

Tom Cross:

Thank you for your recent e-mail in support of Second Amendment rights and opposition to gun control measures introduced in Springfield.
As a FOID card holder and advocate of responsible firearms use, I will continue to support the rights of law-abiding Illinois gun owners. We will also continue to oppose the efforts of Chicago politicians to infringe upon those rights.
Thank you again for your e-mail on this very important issue. I appreciate you taking the time to share your views. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future.
Rep. Tom Cross

Trent

March 15, 2013, 12:45 PM

Marty Moylan

Dear Trenton,

Thank you for taking the time to write to my office regarding this important issue. I assure you, that as your State Representative, maintaining a safe environment for Illinois families to live and work will always be my top priority.

As with any issue, I want to make sure that I receive input from all stakeholders before casting my vote. From the police chiefs to local residents, itís imperative that I gather as much information before deciding how to vote. I am supporter of the 2nd Amendment, and believe that any legislation needs to protect the right to bear arms, but also works to keep our communities and streets safer.

While the 2nd Amendment makes it clear that individuals have the right to keep and bear arms, there are a number of common sense proposals on the table to ensure firearms are being kept out of the hands of convicted felons, and the mentally ill.

Therefore, while the House of Representatives have yet to address this issue, I will continue to closely analyze the debate going forward, to ensure the concerns you raised in your letter are taken into account. I encourage you to continue to stay engaged as well, and pass on any ideas that you may have.

Respectfully,

Marty Moylan
State Representative
55th District

Jeff White

March 15, 2013, 12:46 PM

I just got the same email only it had my name on it instead of yours this time. ;)

Got this reply from Tom Cross:

Thank you for your recent e-mail in support of Second Amendment rights and opposition to gun control measures introduced in Springfield.

As a FOID card holder and advocate of responsible firearms use, I will continue to support the rights of law-abiding Illinois gun owners. We will also continue to oppose the efforts of Chicago politicians to infringe upon those rights.

Thank you again for your e-mail on this very important issue. I appreciate you taking the time to share your views. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future.

Rep. Tom Cross

And this from Josh Harms:

Thank you for contacting my office in regards to 2nd Amendment Rights. Just like most people in the 106th District, I was raised with firearms in the house and I was taught how to respect and handle them; lessons that I am passing down to my children. I believe whole heartedly that everyone has a right to protect themselves, their families, and their property. I also believe that the right to self-defense does not end at your front door which is why I will be supporting legislation to allow for the legal carrying of firearms in Illinois. Gun control measures have failed to protect citizens time and time again and I will not support any attempts to ban firearms or place limits on the amount of ammunition a magazine can hold. I will do my best to keep you informed as legislation progresses through the General Assembly. Again, thank you for contacting my office and please continue to do so in the future.

So glad you are watching! On a legislator's "first" bill, many crazy thing happen! Since I don't drink coffee, I don't think my voice was up to par.

Thanks, you made me smile,
Sandy

Trent

March 15, 2013, 01:06 PM

Rep Davismeyer

Thank you for taking the time to contact me with regards to gun control issues.
I am happy to be a co-sponsor of HB997, which was noted to be THE conceal and carry bill following the 7th Circuit Court decision and again following the refusal of Attorney General Lisa Madigan's appeal of that decision.
Unfortunately, with the large amount of support for this legislation, from Republicans and Democrats alike, the Speaker of the House Michael Madigan feels the need to push his own agenda through the use of shell bills and amendments. It is my belief that this will be used to force "assault weapon" bans while pushing minimal rights for conceal and carry.
While it is apparent that the Madigan family is intent on taking away your gun rights, you can rest assured that I am not willing to give up rights in order to "receive" rights that are protected by law and required by court order.
I will work hard to protect both the U.S. Constitution and the Constitution of the State of Illinois, which includes the 2nd Amendment and Section 22 of the Illinois Bill of Rights, both of which state our right to "keep and bear arms shall not be infringed".
Again, thank you for contacting me. I look forward to hearing from you in the future.
Sincerely,

C.D. Davidsmeyer
State Representative - District 100

hey_poolboy

March 15, 2013, 01:10 PM

Mike Unes is my rep. He's usually pretty good about getting back with me, but not yesterday.

I really like Josh harms reply also!

Glad to see that they "say" no gun stuff today.

Trent

March 15, 2013, 01:22 PM

You shouldn't have anything to worry about with Unes, he's on our side. :)

To a particularly anti-gun representative, I sent this. It was about the hardest language I felt I could use, while maintaining a level of civility.

You bring up "common-sense" legislation. I also believe in "common-sense" legislation - in fact, that's what all legislation should be.

However, please make sure “common-sense” legislation does NOT restrict my rights, as a law abiding citizen, to continue to own what I own right now, or to collect things I am entitled to collect as a Federally Licensed Curio and Relics Holder.

Currently there are NO exemptions in any proposed bills for bona-fide firearms collectors – by default, this legislation would make me a criminal (I will not surrender or sell my collection).

Turning honest, hard-working, law abiding citizens in to felonious criminals through statutory offenses is the most despicable form of Tyranny and oppression I have ever heard of in the United States.

Thus, I would have no choice but to take what I contribute to the economy (a pretty sizable amount) OUT of the State of Illinois, permanently. I would relocate my employees, and THEIR revenue would leave the state. Of course my 5 children would go with; along with all of the tuition and taxes THEY would contribute in years to come.

While *I* would be peaceful and move, it is likely that there are many individuals who would neither move, nor be peaceful, faced with waking up to find that their Government has declared them criminals for no good reason.

Something to consider - Insurrections can, and have, started over things like this.

-Trent

(I keep bringing up the C&R thing to maintain a level of "The Federal Government SAYS so".... and if you ever looked at what is allowed under a C&R license, you'd understand why I am pushing this angle. There's artillery pieces on that list. As well as just about every military weapon named, which has been used in a theater of war.)

hey_poolboy

March 15, 2013, 01:36 PM

Oh, don't get me wrong. I know Unes is on the right side of this. My emails and calls to him are usually more of a thank you and keep up the good fight sort. He's usually good about responding and filling me in on what's going on.

Trent

March 15, 2013, 01:39 PM

Oh definitely, it's a good thing on many levels. A thankless job, sucks (I deal with that every single day!).

That, and it lets them know we're watching. :)

Jeff White

March 15, 2013, 01:42 PM

Madigan's response to the SEC charging Illinois with fraud for lying about the state of the pensions in their bond solicitations was: "We are paying the bondholders and we are paying the interest - there are no victims"

So I wonder if he would accept "my so called assault rifle or standard capacity magazine didn't shoot anyone so there was no victim, how can there be a crime?" as a defense. I think not.....

Birdhunter1

March 15, 2013, 01:54 PM

FYI... Mike Bost is DA MAN! I have known his family since I was a little guy, grew up with his son and have known him for years.
I am trying to get him to come up with new T-shirts for his next campaign reading something to the effect of 'Pharoah let MY PEOPLE go free'

Trent

March 15, 2013, 01:57 PM

I like listening to Rep. Bost grill the anti-gunners in debates!

In fact, I like listening to ALL the guys who grill the anti-gunners in debates. Especially when they get all fired up. Sacia is becoming renowned for that. Cross is getting there too.

They're ALL getting sick and tired of political games in Springfield.

Birdhunter1

March 15, 2013, 03:22 PM

Trent did you ever see the 'Mike Bost Tirade' last year during Madigan put something out for a full house vote before anyone had a chance to read it and Mr. Bost threw a stack of papers in the air, punched at them, and screamed 'how am I supposed to vote for my people when you give us games like this'

Trent

March 15, 2013, 04:15 PM

Haha nice!

Got another one back;

Dear Trenton,
Thank you for contacting my office regarding the 2nd amendment. I appreciate the opportunity to respond to you concerning this matter.
In December 2012 the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals struck down Illinois' ban on concealed carry. The court gave the state 180 days to put in place a law that allows "the carrying of guns in public." The court stated that "reasonable limitations, consistent with public safety and the 2ndAmendment can be included in the legislation.
I joined with a bipartisan group of legislators in supporting House Bill 997, which legalizes concealed carry for trained, licensed law-abiding citizens, while putting in place reasonable restrictions. This legislation respects the Constitutional rights set forth in the Second Amendment, while keeping our communities, families and neighborhoods safe.
I was frustrated and disappointed by the lack of seriousness with HB1155. While I do support several common sense amendments, the fact of the matter is that because of the overreaching nature of the nearly 26 separate restrictions added to HB1155, this legislation will undoubtedly be struck down by the courts. Additionally, I do not support a ban on magazines or any proposal that is not backed by the NRA.
I appreciate you sharing your ideas about how to make Illinois concealed carry law effective and efficient. Please know I am a strong proponent of our 2nd Amendment Right to conceal and carry, and I believe rights should be afforded to responsible law abiding gun owners. I truly hope that a more reasonable compromise can be reached.
Sincerely,

Joe Sosnowski
State Representative
District 69

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